Chicken enchiladas offer a rich and complex combination of flavors and textures, but traditional cooking methods can be tedious.

We wanted a more streamlined recipe for chicken enchiladas—one that utilized our slow cooker to make the filling and that enabled the enchiladas to be quickly assembled and finished in the oven.

First we created a simple but flavorful red chile sauce with onion, garlic, spices, and tomato sauce, then braised chicken thighs directly in the sauce, which both enhanced the flavor of the sauce and ensured moist, flavorful meat for our enchilada filling.

Monterey Jack cheese complemented the rich filling nicely, while canned jalapenos and fresh cilantro rounded out the flavors and provided tang and brightness. When it came time for assembly, we brushed the tortillas with oil and microwaved them to make them pliable.

After experimenting with oven temperatures and times, we found that baking the assembled enchiladas covered for 15 minutes in a 450 F oven resulted in perfectly melted cheese, and the edges of the tortillas did not dry out in the process.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 F. Spread 3/4 cup sauce over bottom of 13-by-9-inch baking dish. Brush both sides of tortillas with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Stack tortillas, wrap in damp dish towel, and place on plate; microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute.

Working with 1 warm tortilla at a time, spread 1/3 cup chicken filling across center of tortilla. Roll tortilla tightly around filling and place seam side down in baking dish; arrange enchiladas in 2 columns across width of dish.